A few weeks into spring training, the Detroit Tigers are facing a difficult decision that is the envy of the rest of the AL Central.
An injury to Alex Cobb has left two openings in the Tigers’ starting rotation. Over the past few weeks, they have assembled a cast of four different pitchers vying for those coveted Opening Day spots.
Kenta Maeda
The 36-year-old veteran has covered all the familiar spring training clichés, but so far, he has been sharp. In three games, he has logged 8.2 innings pitched, allowing three earned runs on six hits, including one home run, while walking one and striking out an impressive 16 batters.
Being in the final year of his two-year, $24 million contract, Maeda should be motivated to pitch for one more payday. He is a logical choice to start in the rotation; the Tigers know what they are getting from him, and it appears his fastball is up a tick this spring, sitting in the 91-92 mph range. It is also unlikely that the Tigers would use him in the bullpen, so he is expected to start in the No. 4 spot in the rotation.
Keider Montero
Montero made his debut in 2024 and has shown flashes of being a front-of-the-rotation starter. The 24-year-old had appeared in two games this spring in relief, logging 3.0 scoreless innings.
Thursday, he got his first start of the spring against the Baltimore Orioles. Montero struggled from the first pitch. In 2.2 innings pitched, he was never able to get it going, giving up five earned runs, but showed his potential by settling down and striking out five Orioles’ hitters.
If needed, he could start the season with the Tigers, but more innings to hone his craft would better prepare him for a mid-season call-up. This past start suggests he will likely begin the season in Triple-A Toledo.
Casey Mize
The former first overall selection in the 2018 MLB Draft appears to be a new pitcher this spring. Mize has revamped his slider and is pitching confidently in the zone. He has started two games, pitching 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits, walking one, and striking out five.
He has the potential to be a No. 1 starter if he can put all the pieces together. There has never been any doubt about his stuff, which includes a 96-98 mph fastball, slider, knuckle curve and splitter. If he maintains this pace throughout March, he could earn the nod for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. While some may argue he should be considered for a bullpen role, Mize’s potential makes that line of thinking less appealing.
Jackson Jobe
Jobe is the player that fans are eager to see make the rotation. The question, however, is whether it is better for him to pitch April innings or September innings. His statistics for the spring are largely irrelevant. Jobe has demonstrated readiness to pitch while working on his location and changing speeds.
It’s worth noting that Paul Skenes did not start in the rotation for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024. It is likely the Tigers will manage Jobe’s April and May innings with the hope he can be prepared for the rest of the season. Today’s cautious approach with top pitchers means he will be kept from reaching the neighborhood of 200 innings pitched in 2025.
So, the question remains: when would you prefer to have those 100% effort innings?
